'Money is supposed to flow down, not up': Worker is asked to pitch in $50 for higher-up's holiday present despite them making 3-4x their salary

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Dec 6, 2024 12:00 PM EST

Giving gifts in a corporate setting is a tricky business. You may want to show your appreciation for the people you work with, but gifts mean money, and money is a delicate subject at work. So as a rule, and as these commenters pointed out, gifts should flow down, not up. It's a nice thing for a boss to give a little something to their employees (though a fair, competitive wage is the best gift of all). But it shouldn't be expected for those lower on the totem pole, and thus those making less money, to give gifts to their boss, especially pricey ones. Odds are, you're working hard for that cash, and the last person you want to spend it on is someone at your company who makes more than you.

But that's what happened in this story when an overreaching employee started hitting up their coworkers for gift money. Read on for the details and see what you think.